Elgin gears up for annual clean-up day

May 15, 2013 01:29 pm

ELGIN — The Elgin Chamber of Commerce has finalized its plans for a clean-up and green-up event at the Stampede grounds this Saturday.

The civic event is Elgin’s second annual effort and is patterned after the successful Cove model. Cove organizers mentored the Elgin chamber’s clean-up committee last year to optimize Elgin’s efficiency and ease them through the learning curve.

It worked because after all the expenses were paid to clean up, the chamber was able to green up by cashing in the recyclable donations, netting them a profit of $1,760.

“The committee was very pleased that we were able to use the profits for our start-up (fund) for this year’s clean up,” said Chamber President Kem Brainerd. “The garbage fees alone comprise most of our clean-up costs.”

The inaugural event ran so smoothly that very little needed to be reworked organizationally this year.

“The only tweaking involved has been updating the flyers and assigning the tires with rims to the Elgin football team,” Brainerd said.

Residents can bring their items to the Stampede grounds. Citizens are being asked to pack their donations in a specific order so they can be unloaded according to the order the stations are set up. Those not packed correctly will be asked to pull aside and repack their rigs and then re-enter the line.

Residents should pack their items scrap metal and appliances first, followed by solid waste, batteries, paints, with can labels still on, oils, computers and electronics, tires and any good or usable items that can be resold at a yard sale.

The collection site will not accept paint stains, thinners or paint cans without their labels on them. Also not accepted are liquids or gases of any kind, chemicals, any hazardous materials and yard debris.

The committee expects the number of old tires donated to Elgin’s collection site to be substantial. Each household may bring in four tires without charge. Residents will be required to pay $1 per automobile tire and $5 per truck or tractor tire above the four-tire limit.

“Last year, the Elgin chamber collected over 1,500 tires,” said clean-up committee member Cindy Chandler. “This time we’ve got volunteers from the Elgin football team to work in that station.”